"New Brunswick has a long history of forestry, we also have mining interests, oil, natural gas, recently, wind mill farms. So there's all these other competing demands for the same land we want to conserve for bio-diversity, for the future of the life on the planet, essentially."

Department officials, scientists and naturalists have spent the past two years collaborating to identify the candidate PNA sites, which serve as sanctuaries that allow nature to exist without human interference.

The 190 locations were selected based on their ecological value, their importance as wildlife habitat and their distribution throughout the province.

Protected forever under act

Previous attempts to impose protection haven't always prevented land from being developed, including an old growth site near Shomogoc Stream two years ago, where an entomologist said he had discovered a bug species never before documented.

But Giasson contends areas chosen to be Protected Natural Areas will have better protection that lasts forever.

"One of the things that the act prevents is harvesting trees, and mining, and mining exploration, prospecting. So there is protection under that [Protected Natural Areas Act]

… Absolutely. It's spelled out in that act."

PNAs can still be used for hiking, camping and fishing, but industrial activities and higher impact recreational uses are not permitted.

A new website has been created where New Brunswickers can view the candidate sites and submit comments online until Nov. 15.